The music of childhood: A theological proposal regarding the child and time

Child theology is often divided between an approach which is mystical and Rahnerian and an approach which relies on a developmental frame. Each has different approaches to time and eternity with significant concerns and implications for ministerial practice. This paper will build on the work of Jeremy Begbie amongst others and will propose the motif of music as a way of making sense of childhood and time. It will be suggested that the child is a vessel of time itself, transcending the present moment and propelling us forward to consider the future and eternity by their very presence.